A Love Stronger Than Whispers

Since I've Been Loving You

As the group prepares to leave Akihabara, a burst of vibrant cyan announces Hana's arrival. She storms up to Kiri, arms folded and brow furrowed. 

"Finally! I've been looking for you everywhere! You promised help with my costume for AKiHABARA Cultural Festival!"

Kiri sighs good-naturedly. "Sis, I told you I'd meet you later. Besides, I was enjoying myself."

 He glances towards Ruka and Chizuru, sending a silent apology.

Hana, noticing the other girls, freezes. Her trademark smugness melts into apprehension. "Uh, hey Chizu-san," she mumbles, eyes darting to Kazuya. "Ruka? What are you guys doing here?"

Ruka steps forward, her usual sunshine smile dimmed slightly. "We just bumped into each other, onee-chan. No big deal."

Chizuru, ever the mediator, intervenes. "Actually, it was quite serendipitous! We were all just getting to know each other."

Seeing an opportunity to escape, Kazuya clears his throat. "Uh, well, Chizuru and I have another appointment..."

"Wait!" Hana cries out, desperation lacing her voice. "Please, just five minutes! I really need Kiri's help with my errands. It's for Shinichi, you see!"

Hana throws Kiri a pleading look, his stoic façade cracking slightly. He hesitates, torn between obligations. Kazuya, touched by Hana's earnestness, steps forward.

"Actually," he suggests, "maybe we can all help? Chizuru's got a great eye for fashion, and I'm surprisingly handy with a needle and thread."

A hesitant smile blooms on Hana's face. "Really? You'd do that?"

And so, the unlikely group finds themselves in a cluttered Akihabara apartment, surrounded by fabric swatches, glitter, and hot glue guns. Laughter fills the air as they brainstorm costume ideas, Kazuya clumsily stitching while Chizuru offers styling advice. Ruka, inspired by Hana's passion, volunteers to choreograph a simple dance routine.

As the afternoon progresses, walls melt away. Hana, initially guarded, warms up to Chizuru, sharing her idol dreams and insecurities. Kazuya and Kiri find common ground in their love for video games, engaging in heated (yet friendly) debates about obscure titles. Oh, also the Los Angeles Angels (of Anaheim).

By the time they finish transforming Hana's cosplay into a dazzling creation, a sense of camaraderie has blossomed. They exchange photos, promise to keep in touch, and say their goodbyes with genuine regret.

As Kazuya and Chizuru walk hand-in-hand under the twinkling lights, he says, "That was...unexpected."

"But surprisingly fun," Chizuru agrees, a smile warming her lips. "Maybe Hana isn't so bad after all."

Kazuya chuckles. "And maybe Kiri's just a big softie under that stoic exterior."

"Stoic yer ass. He spent too much time watching baseball there, seeing bollocks flying to the bleachers like the steroid era," a booming voice echoes; that is Shinichi Sakurai.

Kazuya jumps, startled, but unsurprised as the booming voice breaks the comfortable murmur.  He sees Shinichi Sakurai, towering over them like a cheerful earthquake, a wide grin splitting his face. Chizuru rolls her eyes playfully, adjusting her glasses, seeing Hana clings upon her darling.

Funnily enough, Shinichi, at 5'11, is only an inch taller than Kazuya, who is 5'9.

"Shinichi, there you are!" Hana exclaims, exasperation tinged with amusement. "Don't sneak up on people like that!"

The air crackled with a playful voltage as Shinichi swept into the room, a whirlwind of mock apologies and theatrical grandiosity. "Couldn't resist!" he boomed, throwing his hands up like a magician unveiling a grand trick. "Heard little Kiri under siege, had to unleash the brotherly cavalry!"

Hana, nestled beside her little brother, swatted Shinichi's arm playfully. "Teasing! Kiri was merely dissecting..."

"The epic fall of the '05 Angels, mark my words!" Shinichi interjected, swatting her back with equal zeal. "Molina's dropped fly? Pure poetry! Kiri still weeps in his sleep, eh, buddy?"

Kiri, a miniature samurai of five, huffed indignantly. "Misguided loyalties," he mumbled, a blush creeping up his face. "And questionable sports analogies."

Ruka's laughter, like wind chimes in a summer breeze, melted the tension. Shinichi's bombastic presence had the same effect on their little gathering as sunshine breaking through storm clouds.

"So, Kiri still harbors ill will towards the eternally-disappointing Angels?" inquired the girl with the blue ribbon, her voice a melody. "Does the sting of Ohtani's westward migration outweigh the heartbreak of another near-miss World Series, courtesy of the unlikely romance between no one else than Soichiro Yamazaki and TWICE's Jeongyeon? I am surprised, hyeong-nim."

"Ah, the  main stars for All Or Nothing: San Diego Padres!" boomed Shinichi, eyes twinkling, laughing at Ruka's . "I laughed my arse off when Yuki Matsui's wife, the same Anna Ishibashi, channeling Maximus Decimus Meridius....You've got your finger on the pulse, soon-to-be sis-in-law! Now, spill the beans, lovebirds. Akihabara after-party? Cosplay clash? Karaoke duel against the natives?"

Chizuru, ever the cool hand, raised an eyebrow. "Karaoke? Shinichi, you can't carry a tune in a bucket. We were thinking..."

Kazuya, a devilish grin playing on his lips, cut her off. "Shinichi might be onto something, Chizuru. Ruka's a K-Pop star in the making, right? And your voice could make angels weep. How about a friendly... vocal showdown, you two against Shinichi and Hana?"

Kazuya cuts in, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Actually, Shinichi might be onto something. Ruka is a K-Pop star in the making, remember? And Chizuru has the voice of an angel. We could challenge you and Hana to a friendly... vocal showdown!"

In the bygone times, Kazuya and Shinichi, deeply connected through the tales of the Hakubas, harmonized the lyrics of the Led Zeppelin song with genuine emotion. Among them, Kiri's voice soared the highest, one that earnt him the title of a "soyboy" during his school years. 

The trio's (un) melodic tribute echoed through the memories of the Hakuba family, creating a unique and lasting connection among them.

Boys will be boys, though. According to the girls.

"Ruka-chan, about Kiri's choice of songs, your guess is as good as ours," Hana and Chizuru  crumbled down in embarassment, stopped dead in their respective tracks after an ungodly performance by their partners.

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